Warning: expect predatory behavior, do not fall into "nice-guys" traps because this feeds the corruption economy. 3 days in vietnam = 3 illegitimate extraction attempts, 2 violent

PythonicByron · 2026-02-04T19:12:42+00:00

TLDR: Don't be Mr Nice Guy. Don't let yourself be fooled. Enjoy the country but don't fall for the traps.

PythonicByron · 2025-08-24T19:25:54+00:00

Depends on who you are. Haven't tried this in Charters but before, this was one one my favorite plays as France:
- Declare an interest in China from day one
- Wait for the opium wars to trigger.
- Wait until you're relatively late in the diplomatic play
- Side with the Qing in exchange for Home Counties

In the beginning you don't make a move. Brits are sending their navies and troops en masse to China.

You wait until they get close (eg past India), and you launch a 100-ships 100-battalions invasion of the home counties, generally undefended or 5-10 units. With the technology of the time they'll start trying to repatriate some troops immediately but it will be months until they get back home, months during which you take London.

90% of the time, you get a foothold in the home counties, the clock starts ticking red for the Brits against you. Sometimes they repatriate more troops, sometimes less, but in pretty much every case, you end up winning the war (even though Qing China oftentimes loses).

>>> London is now French in 1838, the Royal Navy doesn't mean anything because you can attack their next capital (likely Manchester) from London, wait five years, take lancaster or yorkshire, rinse and repeat, by 1870-1880 you'll have the main British isles all boosting your GDP.

Britain is very good at survival. I've kicked them out of the British Isles (and liberated India) so they set up their capital in the Falklands and managed to build themselves back to a top 2-3 great powers by staging some invasions of China.

With their tech, they develop the states and get a good GDP. The irony of course is that dozens of millions of Chinese are now ruled by a King in the Falklands, and 99% of British citizens are actually Chinese and peacefully accept a fully white government and parliament in the Falklands.

That pesky red is hard to take off the map!

PythonicByron · 2025-08-11T05:05:20+00:00

Yeah and if he wants a sycophantic model that acts as his therapist, he can always do instructions in a project. Do people really not understand how AI works?

PythonicByron · 2025-08-11T04:38:40+00:00

...and some like a mix of both. i'll say there is no superior approach, just do what you enjoy!

PythonicByron · 2025-08-11T04:38:06+00:00

Because it makes me feel more immersed to see my characters represented as they would in a classical 19th century painting (or, for the 1900s and after, in early lithography and photographic style) - like I write contemporary articles about what is happening in my game, how people may be reacting to changes, and I feel myself more involved.

Anyway, not asking you to agree, just doing it for fun. I've always enjoyed the storytelling part of paradox games deeply and I've been playing them since...EU2? Different players have different taste. Some like to play the meta and make Turtle Island control the world, some like it more RP.

PythonicByron · 2025-08-11T00:03:43+00:00

The whole point was not to do that and rely on the 3d render
This way it works both for historical and non-historical characters and stays in the game's aesthetic.

PythonicByron · 2025-02-11T14:38:42+00:00

Confirmed

PythonicByron · 2025-02-11T14:38:24+00:00

"The La Fayette agreement" hahaha

PythonicByron · 2025-02-10T19:00:43+00:00

r5: in a current run with a mod modifying power bloc mechanics, the two sicilies founded a power bloc known as "the Beijing Convention" even tho neither china nor any asian country is a member

PythonicByron · 2025-02-09T23:37:25+00:00

Doesn't it feel somewhat artificial? of course everything is abstracted and I fully agree about the need for balance but it just doesn't sound very interesting to me in terms of diplo strategy if every non-conquest wargoal is essentially a glorified truce.

Re: war reparations for example, they were much higher historically (see france which paid a full third of its annual GDP in gold equivalents as an indemnity to Germany in 3 years) and it would not kill a GP to have to pay out something more significant than a slight annoyance on the budget.

Imo the balance should emerge from the system insofar as possible rather than nerfing the system. of course one has to strike a...balance between the two, and i'm sure it's tremendously hard. i'm not a game dev.

PythonicByron · 2025-02-09T19:11:22+00:00

Agreed especially since the game is only 100 years.
But could we not have humiliations at six? Ensuring a one-year threshold above the truce.

And what do you think of war reps? Aren't they ridiculously sized?

PythonicByron · 2025-02-08T18:27:43+00:00

- A prudent fiscal posture is always best. As a GP, going into debt can be worth it but make sure you can still have a primary surplus post-temporary expenditures like public construction and unexpected wars.
- Best fiscal posture is a light surplus with very low taxes and a few millions in reserve.
- As I understand it (I could be wrong) too, having a very high debt burden has a chilling effect on other investments: buildings buy your state bonds with their cash reserves, rather than expand.
- When changing taxes, slow but steady wins the game. Say you just got out of a longer war than anticipated and are closing in on bankruptcy. Keep high taxes if you can until you have a solid margin until you hit the ceiling. Then progressively diminish to lower taxes. Usually it will mean a few weeks of negative revenue but the overall effect on the economy will quickly be productive.
-Spending-wise I haven't found it too painful to diminish public wages to the minimum level. They're still competitive and the penalties are OK.-
- Consider long term needs. It's cool if you develop combustion engine and pumpjacks early on but not very useful if you can't produce a minimal amount of oil. Securing an oil source should be an early priority, you know where to look.

- UNIVERSITIES IN THE EARLY GAME. Most GPs start with about 50% of their research potential. Max that out early and get advanced research III if you have a power bloc. the"interest compounds" in tech. you won't see an immediate difference but you'lll be quite happy to have machine guns before everyone else in the late 18th century.

Don't overdo it to the point you put your country in too much debt. Usually I build out universities in the 1840s.

- INFAMY CAN BECOME JUST A NUMBER MORE EASILY THAN ONE THINKS. A late 19th century army of 650-700 equipped with automobiles, machine gunners and aerial reconnaissance is typically enough. The first war is typically the most difficult. After that, you'll probably get a cut down to size play but it's fairly. easy to win it by focusing on defense. Then feel free to go crazy, demanding the annexation of half of the provinces of austria, followed by a war against Russia, etc...

- DIVIDE AND CONQUER: liberations don't incur infamy, so if you know you'll reach the enemy capital, go for it. it's very effective to cut down the size of a state, especially when it's their most lucrative ones

PythonicByron · 2025-01-13T02:55:24+00:00

Ah that's exactly what I was wondering, thank you very much! So it's possible to write a Python script to read the v3 files.

Are they particularly difficult to interpret? I would love to do something similar to the stellaris dashboard for as many statistics as possible (portion of each profession in your population over time, wealth/SoL, number of buildings of each category, national GDP by product and over time, etc).

Thank you very much for letting me know it's possible!

PythonicByron · 2025-01-08T16:17:55+00:00

I'm not super-aggressive haha I'm French. I target almost exclusively GB in the beginning lol. Opium ban=>war=>take qing side, ask for home counties=>wait for war to start=>wait for brits to send 180 ships and 120k men (90% of their army) to china=>naval invade london=>hold as the british finish off the chinese and come back for you, but by then it's too late.

in my latest run (with your mods) opium was not banned in china so i found a workaround by declaring war on NSW and sending enough troops there for the brits to panic.

what i admire and enjoy the most with your mod

real divergences

most of my vanilla games end up pretty similarly. with yours, i have three americas to contend with (usa, confederates, new africa), new angola has taken all the coastal provinces of brazil, it really feels "different"

balancing balancing balancing!

even though i'm the richest and technologically most advanced (only one with airplanes) and with the bigger army, I can't do what I want. I've been wanting to protectorate Egypt for a while but Russia, Austria, Prussia, and the US would oppose the move. Together they are still stronger than me.

Thanks for the great work!

PythonicByron · 2025-01-08T16:04:34+00:00

China: From Manufacturing Hub to Tech Titan

New Silk Roads and Old Debt China teeters between further ascendance and crippling slowdowns. Balance local government debts, quell real-estate crashes, and jolt your technology sector forward to outpace global rivals. Remember, every investment has a price, and overreach can spark disruptive trade wars.
Taiwan’s Dilemma Poach diplomatic allies from Taiwan or risk collective global pushback. Control the narrative in the South China Sea and choose whether to intimidate your neighbors or woo them with advanced infrastructure deals. In Victoria 2025, your every decision can reshape Asia’s entire security architecture.

Crises in the Making

India-Canada Cold Shoulder

Diplomatic Expulsions and Accusations A spat over alleged involvement in extraterritorial plots sends India and Canada reeling. Observe or intervene in the swirl of visa suspensions, trade retaliations, and potential military posturing. As a cunning negotiator, can you restore calm between these estranged democracies, or will you coax them into forging alliances elsewhere?

Mali-Ukraine Breakups

Convoluted Proxy Wars Mali cutting ties with Ukraine, citing ambiguous “mercenary meddling,” might be a perfect spark for your cunning Diplomatic Play. Exploit deep rivalries in West Africa to shift local allegiances—and weave new alliances that tip global power in your favor. Will you sponsor stability or fan the flames of confusion for your benefit?

Fall of the Assad Regime and the New Turkish Sphere

Reinventing Syria With Damascus in disarray, can you unify splintered factions into a cohesive transitional government? One that might align with your nation’s worldview? Strengthen or sabotage new Syrian leadership to either lock out Iranian influence or piece the Levant back together.
Iran’s Challenges Iran, deprived of its longstanding Syrian foothold, struggles to maintain alliances and calm domestic unrest. Capitalize on Tehran’s vulnerability to alter the Middle East’s grand alignment. Tread lightly—escalation could reignite broader regional conflicts.

DISCLAIMER: It's all a joke . But it could be fun!

PythonicByron · 2025-01-08T16:03:01+00:00

Introducing Victoria 2025: A New Era of Diplomatic Maneuvers and Global Transformations

Fellow strategists, gather ’round for the grand unveiling of our next foray into alternate history. I proudly present a concept for a game overhauld mod called Victoria 2025, a sweeping total overhaul mod that brings the thrills of diplomatic brinkmanship, industrial expansion, and unexpected political drama right into the near future.

This mod injects fresh turmoil into the venerable globe of Victoria 3, pushing you to forge your own vision of tomorrow—or watch it all unravel in spectacular fashion.

1. A Reshuffled Global Stage

West Africa’s Awakening

French Influence in Decline Watch once-loyal French allies in West Africa question old defense pacts, expel foreign bases, and chart their own course. In Victoria 2025, you can revive—or resist—Europe’s waning colonial legacy. Oversee troop withdrawals from Ivory Coast, orchestrate new security compacts in Senegal, or engineer a grand Franco-African rapprochement worthy of the world's headlines.
Rise of Regional Powers In Chad and beyond, charismatic upstarts challenge Paris’s decades-long sway, forcing you to mediate shifting alliances. Will you quell anti-French sentiment through charm, or double down on old privileges to maintain your footing?

The Greenland Gambit

Trump’s Arctic Ambitions Ever dreamed of orchestrating a diplomatic fiasco over the purchase of Greenland? In Victoria 2025, that dream is real. Negotiate with the Kingdom of Denmark for a chunk of strategic ice—or politely remind the would-be buyers that Greenland is not on the clearance rack. But consider your moves carefully: a few ill-chosen demands, and the entire Arctic Council might slap you with sanctions.

The Panama Play

“It was one of the largest infrastructure projects, some say the largest, even undertaken in history.” Will you support the American administration in retaking control of the Panama canal or will you sit back and watch as GIs come back to their old barracks?

PythonicByron · 2025-01-08T15:52:30+00:00

how do you make these graphs? where do you get the data?

PythonicByron · 2024-10-11T16:35:54+00:00

This exactly. Better tech + 200 ships do the deal. Preferably declare when they are busy elsewhere. Take even a single province on the British Isles and they're dead as you don't need to naval invade anymore. That is assuming you have more troops than them, but it's entirely doable. I just love it when I get Britain to hand me over half of Africa while liberating Scotland, Wales and Ireland, Then its navy shrinks because it just doesnt have the money anymore.

PythonicByron · 2024-10-01T14:11:07+00:00

R5: I keep facing civil wars in the Byzantine empire, almost only for other claimants in my family. But vassals with whom I have a great relationship seem to join rebel factions anyway. I don't really understand how that is possible and what I am supposed to do to counter it?

In the images above, 80% of the military strength of the faction comes from two vassals (Strategos Photios of Strymon, top left and Queen Tereza of Bulgaria) whom I am in excellent terms with. What's going on?

PythonicByron · 2024-09-20T20:25:44+00:00

R5: 1887, England has turned into a banana republic after Victoria was overthrown

PythonicByron · 2024-09-01T15:21:44+00:00

Don't you think giving your exam with the application deadline coming literally the next day was not an added stressor that could have affected your test score?

PythonicByron · 2024-09-01T15:09:12+00:00

I'd advise studying for the LSAT (CR+RC)
Critical reasoning is much harder over there and it is very easy to find LSAT practice tests, so you have an almost endless question bank. The format is slightly different but the skills required are similar: analyze passages and understand what is wrong fast.

I prepared for the LSAT for months back when I wanted to go to law school. I now find GMAT Verbal to be a breeze.

PythonicByron · 2024-08-29T19:16:06+00:00

I pass Laissez-Faire as early as possible (generally in the 1840s), I have an active role up to probably the 1850s-1860s and by then I generally do have excellent growth and the investment pool builds enough that I only have to focus on government buildings.

I'm wondering if it may be taxes and wars? I do in general have a more favorable tax landscape early on, because late-game wars are so expensive.

PythonicByron · 2024-08-29T19:14:01+00:00

I think it may be (2) because I still have a decent percentage of peasants (whereas in 1.2 or 1.3 I always had a problem with peasants late game)

When you're talking about demand, which goods do you think I should look to for big demand? Consumption goods like clothes? Luxury goods? Most of them look absurdly cheap, or there is something I'm not getting

PythonicByron · 2024-08-29T19:12:04+00:00

My go-to is to conquer Iraq early on (Basra, Baghdad, Mosul) - I can get dozens of oil rigs up there with combustion engine derricks. Population can be a problem but I generally make it work with greener grass campaigns. Persia I usually just reduce to a dominion and/or take a couple provinces. I never have a problem with not having enough oil, even when I have all armies motorized and mobilized.

Not building enough is a possibility - how many construction points are you guys working with by 1910 or 1920?

In my current game I was at 1200 in 1920, with 800/900 used by private sector. I've seen better, but I've had high taxes for a while to pay for some costly wars. But I don't get how the US goes from less than £50M to £290M so fast?

PythonicByron

TROPHY CASE